The Central government has hardly been insensitive to the reasonable expectations of central government employees while announcing salary hikes in pay commissions. The same appears in the case of the 7th Pay Commission as well.

The Prime Minister’s Office is keenly awaiting the final touch up to the 7th Pay panel’s recommendations, and is keen that inflationary trends be kept in perspective while finalising the salary structure of the government employees.

The trade unions, while protesting the 7th Pay Panel’s recommendations, said that the proposed 7th Pay Commission hike was the lowest in many decades and not in sync with inflation.

Other than the pressure of trade unions, the results of the Assembly election in five states, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, are likely to have an influence on the final pay out.

The notification towards implementation of the seventh pay commission will be announced only after the result of the elections. If the mandate goes totally in favour of the Opposition, the government will be under greater pressure to keep the dissatisfaction related to salalry hike in check.

Even other wise, the government would like to nip the popular opinion building up that the current government is apathetic to the needs of common man.

The two earlier policy decisions on the proposed EPF changes and their subsequent rollback showed government in a bad light.